Victoria Baker

Victoria Baker
Origin	Hampstead, UK
Genres	Opera
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, actress
Years active	1990–present
Website	http://timetravel.mementoweb.org/memento/2010/http://www.myspace.com/vikyb

Victoria Baker is a French singer-songwriter, actress, composer, lyricist, writer, producer and director.

She began her career as a child actress with supporting and lead roles on British Television for the BBC and Thames Television. She subsequently began her vocal training at some of the finest institutions in London, Paris and New York. She has performed various leading soprano roles in operas as well as at Carnegie Hall in New York City. However, she also performs in crossover music, commonly known as Popera.

As a composer and lyricist her works have been picked up by French Radio and T.V. Stations and her first all-French musical Les Amants de Versailles will premiere first in French-speaking Canada and then Paris. She is the Director of her own production company Société Spectacles de la Victoire.

Early life

She was born at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, just Northwest of Central London. Born over two months prematurely she would have died were it not for the expertise of Dr. Yehudi Gordon, London's Baby Guru, renowned for easing celebrity mums from Cate Blanchett to Kate Moss into motherhood.

Her love of music began at an early age when at the age of three she asked to learn how to play the piano. After winning 10 Gold Medals at the North London Music Festival Victoria was accepted to the Yehudi Menuhin School, however, Victoria declined the invitation as the school did not have a vocal arts program and her true passion was singing and Opera in particular. Victoria's singing career began when she was 7 years old. She auditioned for a London Radio Program, along with hundreds of other young girls. She sang "London Bridge" and the casting director sent the other girls home and chose Victoria.

She also appeared on the Thames Television series French Fields. Whilst working on a variety of film and TV roles from a stint on BBC's Playdays to the lead in the feature film ‘How's Business’ premiered by HRH The Prince Edward at Odeon Leicester Square, she was represented by the Sylvia Young Agency & Drama School. Through Young, Victoria met Jacqueline Stoker, Drama and Elocution coach. Stoker urged Victoria to enter the LAMDA London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art Examinations, all of which Victoria passed with Distinction.

Development

Victoria was admitted to the Juilliard School in NY on a scholarship. It was there that her music compositions and unique melodic style began to gain attention.

At this time she also entered countless singing competitions, winning first prize and singing for and taken under the tutelage of Frederica von Stade. Her opera roles include Susannah from Marriage of Figaro, Mimi from La bohème, Nanetta from Falstaff, Loretta from Gianni Schicchi, Guiditta from Franz Lehár's Guiditta, Zerlina from Don Giovanni, Sophie from Werther amongst others.

Whilst finishing a PhD in music composition at the Juilliard School Victoria's early forays upon the NY public have included engagements at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and Bruno Walter Auditorium. In 2006 she performed for the Princess Grace Foundation and was given a royal invitation to sing at the Palace in Monaco and for Queen Noor in Jordan. In April 2008 she was invited to sing for Henry Kissinger in New York. Most recently, Victoria was featured on the French TF1 program Sept a Huit.

Personal details

Victoria speaks both French and English at home- often starting a sentence in one language and finishing in the other. She has sung in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Russian.

In 2006 Victoria published her first book In Search of Lost Love. The book is about the love lives of opera composers.

As a composer and lyricist her works have been picked up by French Radio and T.V. Stations and her first all-French musical Les Amants de Versailles will premiere first in French-speaking Canada and then Paris. She is the Director of her own production company Société Spectacles de la Victoire.

External links

• [1]
• [2]
• [3]
• http://www.victoriabaker.vox.com
• http://www.last.fm/music/Victoria+Baker
• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1226426/
• The Victoria Baker Forum on the eScala Fansite